Friday Freewrite Fifteen

I had to set my Alexa timer twice because she heard me say 50 minutes instead of 15. So, here I go.

I know I have not been doing as many freewrites because of my "first thing in the morning" daily Morning Pages. That is three notebook-size paper pages every morning first thing (or at least after I make my chai). That has been so helpful for me. But my freewrite habit (I think it has been between 20 and 25 years since I have been freewriting) has not been as consistent. Basically Morning Pages are a freewrite on steroids. :) It usually takes me about 35-40 minutes. Since I finished the book that Julia Cameron has on the market, I decided to save trees by writing my Morning Pages on my Kindle Scribe (have I ever written how much I LOVE that thing - I find it much easier to write on than the ReMarkable - I got the ReMarkable - twice as much money - but it just didn't write like paper. So George got me a Scribe for Christmas, and I find it much more like writing on paper). I do six pages on that thing which is about 90 words less than three notebook-sized pages. 

I am excited because there is someone I have been in meetings with, and God laid on my heart to pray some specific things for that person.  I was in another meeting with them, and they said God had spoken to them two days prior about the exact thing I had been praying about. How is that for an awesome God? I love how he always connects the dots for us. Continuing to pray for them. They are uber-capable and talented. They are just young.

I had my Campfire yesterday, and I was a bit embarrassed by all the affirmation I got from people in the group. I was not sure how to respond. They were very sweet affirmations, and I am very grateful for it. It was just embarrassing, and I wanted to move on. They are such a special group. I really love them all.

I also really love all the directees I am meeting with this year. Some are temporary because they are just meeting with me while they are in training for direction, in the 2HC, doing the Exercises, or taking the Primer for Spiritual Formation with Sustainable Faith (which I have heard is excellent, by the way. Sustainable Faith really has so much to offer. I will link it after this freewrite).

I also really like the people I "collaborate" with these days. I always get to the collaboration station in the 2nd Half Collaborative and think "I am not collaborating with anybody." Then I start thinking more deeply about it, and I am! One is with the 2nd Half Collaborative! LOL! I am not part of the leadership team, but that is OK. I am just leading a Campfire group, doing direction with one of the participants, and helping out with the three retreats, but that is OK that I am not invited to collaborate with the leadership. I like what I do.

I also love collaborating with Marty and Sandy in this Sustainable Faith Training Cohort. I will not continue with Sustainable Faith after this (there was a miscommunication, and they are not taking on new trainers), but I am grateful for the experience of collaborating with them with this great group of 13 future spiritual directors. They are a fabulous group of people from all walks of life. I feel so privileged to be a part of (which reminds me - I need to do the affirmations and send them back to Marty - I wonder when the deadline is - I am not good at taking in mail and doing something about it - I don't even know where those cards are - hopeless - one of my directees - who is also a spiritual director said, "Carol, I am not good at all the administration stuff that comes with spiritual direction, but I think I am better than you." LOL! It is so true, and it does not hurt my feelings to have her say that, at all.)

Today is pretty open. Because of my back, I had to reschedule a directee for today at 2 pm, but I don't have anything until I go to teach my Pilates class at 10:30. I will stay for Cardio Dance and get back at 1:30 in time to shower for my directee appointment. Then, if I am still up for it, I will go for a walk with a friend who is struggling. Then, it is a FREE FAMILY WEEKEND. Michael is coming home. We may do sushi as we all love that.

It should be 15 minutes by now, but I will keep typing. OH, THERE IT IS. It is so weird how I know when 15 minutes is up. 

Friday Freewrite Fifteen

Back in the Pilates Saddle 

Whew! What a whirlwind week it has been. Busier than usual, but manageable. This is the first day that I don't have something early in the morning. So, I am taking time to do a Friday Freewrite Fifteen. Since I journal these "Morning Pages," it has not happened as much, and I see that I attempted one the end of March, but I never finished.

I miss these, but the "Morning Pages" have been really good, and I will finish them on Sunday morning! 252 pages of journaling since January 1st, three pages a day (but sometimes I did not do three). It took me 30-40 minutes each day, and I really loved it. There really is something about journaling that helps. It is brain science. 

I realized that Christmas to Easter was full, and now I can breathe. I was not overly busy, but it was full because Joanne, Micah, and Bri were back, alumni weekend, going to Southeast Asia, getting COVID, guiding two people through the Exercises, helping with Marty and Sandy's Cohort 8. All very good things, but I see the horizon ahead has much less in my schedule, and for that, I am very grateful.

I am doing well with the Lord. Hey, I should schedule something with Fran. I was not always good to meet with her. I think I met with her nine times in 2023. So, that isn't too bad (every six weeks or so), but I want to meet with her every month. Part of it is all the traveling she has done, and I also meet periodically with Cammie and Sister Joan. So that plays into it. Sister Joan was so excited that I came to visit her last time, and I really want to go again and visit her. 

I think I will visit a spiritual director when I am in the Trappist Abbey too. I have already paid for two nights June 10-12, and I am going to just book it every three months if I can (except the December time away because I do my Day of Prayer with Teala, and it is too muddy to hike up the hills there - I went there in January once and came back covered in mud after a hike. I suppose I could not hike, but it is easier to just walk around here and do my traditional walk around the Oregon State University campus. 

By the way, I am so glad I am "back in the Pilates Saddle"! It has been so good to move my body more by riding my bike there and back and doing a full 50 minutes of exercise that I usually skimp on because I do that when I do it by myself! 

I unsure if I can teach in the summer though. We are on a trip from July 6 to July 20. Then it is my anniversary and birthday week the 21st and 27th. So, we will see. I wish I could just job share with Sarah. Maybe I will approach her about that because the fall might be crazy if we decide to go to Amsterdam and possibly Spain for more of the Camino! We will see!

Oh, what a great day it is going to be. Oh, by the way, I have lost about 20 pounds. I have been recording for 84 days now! I have only had a few days that I have gone over my goal. So, it has been about 20. I am unsure where I started pounds-wise because I did not want to go by the scale. I want to feel where my body is at because the other way I don't feel when I am gaining weight. My clothes always fit. That is what happens when you are tall. I don't notice when I gain. And for sure, others don't notice when I lose. Most people don't notice until it is 30 pounds, and I don't need to lose that much. We will see. I am just waiting to see how comfortable my hiking pants and fancy black dress are on me.

TTFN and TGIF!